Pneumatic suspension



June 22, 1954 M. H. Ror'rERsMANN PNEUMATIC SUSPENSION :s 4sheets-smeet 1 Filed Jan. 6, 1950 I INVENTOR: MAURICE H. RQTTEBSMANM ATTQRN EY S.

June 22, 1954 M. H. RoT'n-:RSMANN 2,681,801

PNEUMATIC SUSPENSION Filed Jan 6, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ko S FIG.

A INVENTOR: MAURICE vH. RoTTr-:RSMANN u B7,v Maza/Cw:

ATTORNEYS.

June 22, Y1954v M. H. Ro'r'rERsMANN PNEUMATIC SUSPENSION 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 6, 1950 F IG.

Lann PER WHEEL.

. INVENTOR: MAURICE H. ROTTERSMNN Il n AT TORN EYS.

Patented June ?2, 1954 "UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE PNEUMATIC SUSPENSION Maurice H; Rottersmann, Webster Groves, Mo. Application January 6, 1950, Serial No. 137,069

6 Claims.

This invention relates generally to pneumatic suspensions, and particularly to pneumatic suspensions for wheeled vehicles.

Wheel suspensions in use heretofore have been most frequently of the steel spring type, either leaf or coil springs being used to protect the vehicle and its occupants by cushioning the shocks of the road. Steel and rubber torque-type assemblies are also known. One of the principal difficulties with leaf, coil and torque-type steel springs, and corresponding rubber suspensions, is the fact that their degree of flexure available for shock absorption is decreased as the static load increases. This has lead to the dilemma that, in order to prevent excessive downward displacement by a static load, the spring rate of suspensions heretofore known must often be made too high for comfort, or, if the spring rate of the suspension is made low enough for comfort, the body of the vehicle stands undesirably high above the wheels and the ground when not under static load. This is particularly true of the relatively light vehicles having a large capacity, which are becoming more common.` The term spring rate is used in the specification and claims in the sense in which it is used in the article Modern Passenger Car Ride Characteristics, by R. Schilling and H. O. Fuchs, Journal of Applied Mechanics, p. A-59, June 1941-that isas the frequency of motion of a suspension.

`In order to provide maximum comfort to the occupants of a wheeled vehicle, the suspension employed must have a low spring rate through a normal operating range. From a practical standpoint, it is necessary to avoid excessive size of the suspension, height of the vehicle from the ground, and "bounce of the vehicle. It is further necessary to` provide means for eifectively increasing the suspensions spring rate as the unsprung portion of the vehicle approaches the sprung portion, to avoid injury to `the suspen sion, the vehicle, and the occupants when the suspension reaches the limit of its travel.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a sturdy, simple type of pneumatic suspension system in which the available vertical travel of the unsprung portion of the vehicle may" be made independent of the static load, and ther spring rate of the suspension may be made predeterminably variable. Other` objects will become apparent to those skilled Vin the art when the following description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich: 9 r

, Figure 1 isa planview of a suspensionunit` accordingnto one embodiment of: this invention; .i

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along a line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view, partly cut away, of a suspension unit as shown in Figures 1 and 2, in connection with one embodiment of leveling valve;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along a line at 4-4 of the illustrative embodiment of leveling valve shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a vertical section through a master control valve as shown diagrammatic-ally in Figure 8;

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken along line 'l-'i of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the connection between the master control valve and individual leveling valves and suspension units; and

Figure 9 is a graph showing displacement of the piston of one of the suspension units of this invention against force.

According to the present invention, generally stated, a simple, sturdy, pneumatic suspension system is provided, in which the rate of vertical travel of the unsprung portion of a wheeled vehicle may be made very nearly linear with respect to the force exerted on it, through a predetermined and uniform operating range, regardless of the static load thereon, but which rate of travel is decreased quickly but at a predeterminable rate as the suspension approaches the limit of itstravel toward the sprung portion of the vehicle. The converse-is also true, that in traveling away from the sprung portion of the vehicle, the unsprung portion has initially a high spring rate which decreases until the normal operating range is reached. The suspension unit itself consists of a piston acting in a main cylinder connected by ports in the cylinder wall to auxiliary chambers. These cylinder wall ports are covered progressively as the piston travels within the main cylinder toward the main cylinder head, thus decreasing the available volume of Afluid in the mainicylinder and auxiliary chambers above the pistons head, and increasing the spring rate. This increase of the suspensions spring rate may be begun at any stage in the travel, and at a. uniform or non-uniform rate, to suit `the requirements of the vehicle according to the positioning of'the cylinder wall ports. The piston is positioned after the vehicle is loaded and unloaded byadmitting iuid under pressure into themain cylinder and its auxiliary `chambers sumcient to 1 force the piston to a predetermined position. By this positioning, the piston is permitted its ull travel toward the main cylinder head, under any loading conditions.

This positioning for each and all of the suspension units may be accomplished. automatically. In the embodiment shown, the leveling means comprise a leveling valve mounted on each suspension unit, and connected to a master valve, in such a way that all of the units are positioned automatically whenever the shaft of the master Valve is depressed by the operator.

Considering rst the suspension units, and re-` erring to the drawings, particularly to Figures 1 and 2, I represents a piston sliding in a cylinder 2. The cylinder 2 is equipped with ports Il, leading to auxiliary chambers 5. Oil pans 40@ are provided to prevent accumulation of oil in the chambers. The piston I is provided with a bellows seal 3, packing or rings 6, a head 1, bracket 8, for connecting the piston to the vehicles wheels or axles, and vent 8U. Cylinder V2 isconnected to the .body of the vehicle by means ofhanger S.. Although the .piston I has been described as connected to the wheels or axle of the vehicle, and the cylinder to the body, the device may be inverted. Ports I5, II, I2, I3, 'lil and 1I, and tube Mii, are concerned with the leveling operation, and will be described in connection with the leveling valve and master control valve to which they are connected.

lIn operation, where 'a plurality of suspension units are used, pressure is supplied to the suspension units from an external source, preferably in the manner'and by the devices hereinafter described, to level the individual suspension units. When the unsprung mass to which a suspension unit is attached vis displaced upwardly toward the sprung portion of the vehicle to which it is attached, the piston I travels toward the head of cylinder 2 Vat a rate which maybe so xed as to be linearly proportional tothe force acting upon it through what may be called its normal operating -ra-nge. As the piston travels toward the cylinder head, the :cylinder ports 4 are -successively obstructed so that the total volume of iiuid available above the head of the piston is decreased by the volume of the auxiliary chambers so cut oi. By .positioning the ports and by providing the auxiliary chambers of the capacity as indicated inFigure 2V', travel characteristics similar to those indicated in thegraph, Figure 9, may be obtained. TheV leveling valve Iii is shown in detail in Figures 4 and 5, and in the embodiment shown consists of two sections I5 and I6, together with end Vcaps I'Land I8. In the faceV of section I5 which lies adjacent section I5 there is .provided a cavity deii'ning a main chamber 25. A further cavity,

communicating with the cavity 25, is provided in the section I5, and is herein denominatedthe exhastchamber 25. Section IB-of the valve is pro- Vvided `with a cavity denng a supplemental` chamber 24, arranged to communicate directly with main chamber 25. The sections I5 and I6' are counterbored to receive the stem partsk of valves. I9 and 25, the former of which is provided withY a head wil, arranged to control 4the com-V munication betweenmain chamber 25 and sup- Y Vprovided with springs Ij and 25V respectively to bias Ythem inthe Vdirection suchjas to Vclose 'the passage 'between vthe main chamber Y Y '25 and the respective-'chambers2=4-and`26- 'Y Main chamber 25 is provided with a port |00, adapted to be connected to the port I0 of the cylinder 2. The valve is provided With a header 29, arranged to be connected with a source of high pressure fluid during the leveling operation hereafter described. Suitable ducts 2I and 22 are provided to supply the high pressure fluid from header 29 to supplemental chamber 24. Duct 2I is provided with a constriction 23, and therebeyond duct ZIE! extends so as to supply the high pressure fluid to the enlarged end |85 of valve I9.

From the chamber adjacent the enlarged end cf valve a port 250 extends to a spring biased check valve 35, and therebeyond a conduit 25| extends to and communicates with port II of the cylinder 2.

A hole'23 extends entirely through section I5 of the valve and provides merely a section of conduit not operatively associated with the moving parts of the leveling valve. The hole 23 is connected by a conduit 60 to port I3 of the cylinder 2.

Exhaust chamber 26 is vented to the exterior of the valve kI!! through a `passage 260 controlled by aspring biased valve 2'1.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7, an illustrative Yerribodirnent of master valve for concurrently operating all of the individual leveling valves is shown. A shaft 32 is arranged to slide in casing 38. Shaft `.'52 is provided-along its length with recesses-3.3, and at its lower portion with exhaust valve head 3ft and pressure valve head 35. The shaft 32 ,is biased upwardly by a spring 36. Pistons 3l' slide in cylinders 50 within casing 38. Pistons 3l are slotted, so that the-shaft 32 passes within the slots, and are provided with projections 39 within the slots, adapted, when theV pistons 3l are forced forward by springs -10, to engage the recesses l33 in the shaft.

The number of pistons 31 corresponds with the number fof suspensionunits to be controlled. Cylinders 5t .are provided at the ends opposite springs 45 with ports 43. Each of ports 43 is in turn'connected by .means .of conduit .0',.`throu'gh the hole .'23 in. theleveling valve I4, 'to a port I3` of individual cylinder l.

Chamber '53, formed between valve Aseats 5I and 52, is provided with ports 41, the number o which corresponds withthe number of. suspensions .tobe controlled. These ports '4I communicate, .by means of conduit 6I, with headers .29 of individual leveling valves Iii.

'Port 44li's connected to the source of :fluid pressure. Y V f Vent l`2Y is open to the atmosphere.

Except during .the actual leveling operation, the leveling meansV are inactive.

position, with pressure valve ,head `35 `seat-,ed 'in valve seat 52. and exhaust valve.head.34 unseated from valve seat 5I, fluid pressure from-portv 44 isv cui; oi-f rfrom the system. Conduit 6I, leading uto the varioussuspension units; is vented through vent 42, `so that in the-leveling valve of each suspension unit, .the header 29. andpassages `2.I vand 210 areeat atmospheric pressure YThe pressure within the leveling valve mai-n chamber .-'25is fsubf stantially the same as that.Withinsuspension uni-t cylinder.2, so thatV leveling valves 4I!) and `Ihrei main'clcsed'; Check valve 56 prevents the rescape ofgluid pressure from .cylinder y2 through port I:I .an`d"c'onduit::251.

In the levelingV operation, shaftf-V is depressed by. `the'foperator, .seating exhaust' valve head1 Sl,

Thus when shaft 32V of Ina-ster control valve .3l isin its .normal aesigeoiv,

33 are engaged byspring-loaded projections 39 to r 52, and through ports 4I to headers 29 in individual valve bodies I4.

Considering now one of the suspension units singly, and assuming that the pressure therein is low, that is, that the piston is too high in the cylinder. The ports II, I2 and I3 are closed by the piston itself. Since the cross-sectional area of one end of valve I9 is greater than that of the other end, pressure upon the enlarged end |99 moves the head |90 from its seat. High pressure fluid from header 29 is then admitted throughV passages 2| and 22 to main chamber 25, and thence through ports and '|0, to the cylinder 2. When the piston I has been pushed down to the point at which ports I2 and I3 are connected by tube |40, high pressure fluid from header 29 flows through conduit BI, port i2, tube |40, port I3, and conduit 60, through the port 43 of one of the cylinders `5I), in master valve 3l. This throws the piston 31 sliding within that cylinder 50 against the force of its spring 40, to disengage that pistons projection 39 from the corresponding slot 33 in shaft 32. If the piston I is pushed down to a point at which port II is sufliciently uncovered, the high pressure fluid in theduct 2 I 0 is admitted to the cylinder 2 through port 250, check valve 30, conduit 25| and port II. This causes the pressure of the side `of the orifice 23 on which duct 2I0 lies to fall, and the force of the spring I9' and of the pressure on the other side of the orifice are suliicient to close pressure valve I9.

When all of the individual suspensions are leveled, i. e. positioned so that their tubes |40 are aligned with ports I2 and I3, all of the pistons 31 of the master control valve 3| are thrown Shaft 32 is then completely released from the projections 39 and is biased to its normal position yby spring 36, seating valve head 35 and unseating valve head 34. Ports 4| are then in communication through seat 5I With vent 42, so as to vent all of the conduit 6I from individual suspension units.

Port I2 must be located below the possible travel of the head 1 of piston I, since this port is connected to the heater 29 of the leveling valve I4, which header is vented to the atmosphere through vent 42 of master valve 32, except during the actual leveling operation described.

Assuming now that the level of the piston I is too low in the cylinder 2, that is, that the pressure within cylinder 2 is too high. Port I I is uncovered. When the master valve is operated to connect the header 29 with the source of high pressure fluid, high pressure fluid is admitted to duct 2|, the pressure on the side of constriction 23, on which duct 2| lies, is greater than the pressure on the other side of constriction 23, because of that constriction, since the duct 2I0 is connected with the interior of the cylinder 2, which is necessarily at a pressure less than that of the high pressure fluid. The exhaust valve is opened while pressure valve I9 (biased by the spring I9 toward the closed position, and urged toward that position by the higher pressure in the duct 2|) remains closed. While it is true that fluid under pressure is being admitted to cylinder duct 2I0, check valve 30, and port I I, the volume of iiuid escaping through port I0, chamber and check valve 21, ls greater. The excess pressure in the cylinder 2 is thus relieved through 6i port I0, main cavity 25. and exhaust cavity 2 8. This allows the piston to rise until ports I2 and I3 are connected by tube |40, throwing a control t valve piston 31, as previously described, in con.

i nection with the operation when the pressure within cylinder 2 is initially too low. Ports 10 and 1I may be provided to insure thatf` the master control valve does not close until `allA of the units are level.4 If the piston in an individual unit, because of a shift inthe load or delay` in leveling of the other units, rises above or falls below the level position, the pressure in the conduit 60 leading from port I3 to the port 43 of one of the cylinders 50 of the master valve is released into the vented space below the head of..=. the piston I. With the pressure released, the f piston 31 is again urged forward by spring :40 to allow the projection 39 to engage recess 33 ini.; the central shaft 32 of the master control valve 3|. Thus each unit must be exactly leveled bel fore the master control valve operates toshut;V off the now of fluid to the individual units. 'i j Thus it is seen that a simple, stiu'dy, improve-d1 pneumatic suspension system is provided which provides the comfort of a suspension system havr' ing a low spring rate without its normally concomitant disadvantages. Having thus described the invention, what isi claimed and desired to be secured by Letters i Patent is:

1. A 'pneumatic suspension unit'comprising a; main cylinder having ports in the. walls thereof,v a plurality of auxiliary chambers, `having a greater volume than `said main cylinder, communicating only with said main cylinder through; said pcrts, and a piston sliding in said main cylinder and adapted Ato obstruct said ports successively as it travels toward, and to clear said ports successively as it travels away from, the `headj -of said cylinder.

2. A pneumatic suspension system comprising a main cylinder having ports in the walls thereof, auxiliary chambers communicating with said cylinder through said ports, a piston sliding within said cylinder and a leveling valve connected to said main cylinder through ports in the Walls of said cylinder, comprising a valve body containing a passage for compressed air, balanced pressure and exhaust valves slidably positioned within said valve body and communicating with said passage and an orifice in said passage within said valve body and intermediate the ends of the balanced pressure and exhaust valves, said orifice providing a pressure differential suiflcient to actuate the said valves upon flow of compressed air through said passage.

3. A pneumatic suspension system for use on wheeled vehicles comprising a plurality of suspension units each comprising a main cylinder having ports in the walls thereof, auxiliary chambers communicating with said cylinder through said ports, a piston sliding within said cylinder; and leveling means for automatically positioning said piston within said cylinder independently of the load thereon comprising individual leveling valves connected to each suspension unit through ports in the walls of the cylinders of said unit, and a master control valve connected to each of said individual suspension units and to each of said leveling valves and adapted to connect all of the said leveling valves with `a source of compressed air until the said suspension units have been leveled, and thereupon automatically to disconnect said units from the source of compressed air.

acercar.

"4b-l In a. pneumatic suspension. system of the' character described, a. suspension unit compris.-

ing. a1. maincylinder having.` two groups of ports. in: the walls thereof, a'. plurality of: auxiliaryv chambers communicating. only with saidl main cylinder through one groupof. said. ports, a pis-v ton sliding. in said' main cylinder. and. adapted' to obstruct. successive auxiliary Vchamber. ports as it travelstoward, and to clear said auxiliary'cham.-

berports ast travelsaway. from, the head of said. main cylinder, and leveling'means connected. with.

saidy main cylinder through the other group'pf saidlports.

5; Invv a.. pneumaticv suspension system having a; plurality of suspension'units; levelingA valve units. each of which is. connected to. one. of. said suspension units, and a. source of high pressure.

fluid'; amaster control; valve, connected to the source of: high pressure uid and to each of said' leveling. valveunits, comprising. a casing, a. shaft slidably positioned in. said casing and, carrying pressure and exhaust valves, said. :shaft being.

biased. normally toward the position: in which saidpressure valve is. seated and saidv exhaust'.

valve is unseated, pistonmeans slidably mounted: Within the said. casing and communicating.. with individual suspension units, said. piston.

means. being provided with means for engaging shaft in the, position in which. its said pres sure valve is unseated and its exhaust valve seated until. allV the suspension units. are leveled,

andior` releasing said shaft when all. of the. units.

are leveled.

6;.A leveling valve. for use with` a suspension unit ofi the character described, comprising. a.

valve'bo'dy providedwith a main passagehaving al. peril-for. connection. with: the suspension unit andf ai; header. for connection to a. source of. high pressurefluid; amain chamber within said valve body communicating through an exhaust valvev seat.. with. the atmosphere, communicating througha. pressurel valve seat with Vthe said main? passage and provided'with` a port for connection tolsaid suspension unit; a pressurevalve havingfa stem with an enlarged end and a head intermediate the ends ofl saidr stem, said pressure. valve. v

being slidably mounted within. said valve body in such aaway that the head moves. within the said main chamber'but. is Vbiased towarda position in which said head is seated within said pressure biased toward a position in which said head is seated within said exhaust valve. seat to block the communication between the main. chamber and. the atmosphere, both ends of said exhaust valve..

stem communicating with the main passage; and a constriction in said main passage intermediate the points at whichthe ends of said exhaust and saidpressure'valvescornmunicate with said main..

passage and intermediate the points. at which said header and the. saidv main passage port communicate with. said main passage, said constriction being adapted, upon flow: of". fluid from said header to said. main passage. portY to produce a pressure differential sufcientto seat: said prese-L sure valve and. to raise said exhaust; valve.

References cited in the fue of this patent Y UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 811,982 Wilkinson Feb. 6, 1906 1,486,911 Messier Mar. 18, 1924; 1,974,171

Bizzarri Sept. 18, 1934 

